System and method for storing and recalling location data

ABSTRACT

A system and method for recalling and utilizing location data are presented. A connection between a device and a vehicle is detected. After the connection is detected, a first set of data stored on the device is identified. The first set of data includes a last known location of the vehicle. A current value of a vehicle sensor is compared to a historical value of the vehicle sensor. The historical value was captured from the vehicle sensor at about a time the first set of data was stored on the device. When the current value of the vehicle sensor is the same as the historical value of the vehicle sensor, the first set of data is used to define a current location of the vehicle.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent Ser. No. 14/876,604,filed on Oct. 6, 2015, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/898,813, filed on May 21, 2013 (now issued asU.S. Pat. No. 9,188,445), the contents of each application being herebyincorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

Many vehicles today include navigation systems that assist a user innavigating to a desired destination. The navigation systems generallyuse radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted from external sources(e.g., global positioning system (GPS) satellites) to determine thevehicle's current location. Using that current location, the navigationsystem can then calculate a route to a desired location and assist theuser in navigating along that route.

In some cases, to enable navigation services, the vehicle isinterconnected with a device, for example, a smartphone or other mobiledevice, with a vehicle. These systems, though, are generally not usefulbeyond providing a map and directions for proceeding from a startingpoint to an end point. Thus, there is a need for device applicationsthat are useful not only for navigation to a point of interest (P01) butalso allow the user of the device to store information, such as thelocation where the vehicle is parked, for how long the vehicle has beenparked in the case of a metered space, and the direction of a POIrelative to the location of the vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure can be better understood with reference to the followingdrawings and description. The components in the figures are notnecessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustratingthe principles of the disclosure.

FIG. 1A is a diagram depicting an example environment providing a systemfor communication between a vehicle, a device, a user and a serviceprovider.

FIG. 1B is a schematic overview of one embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 1C is a flowchart of a method for storing and recalling locationdata.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a method for evaluating and using storedlocation

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method for storing location data after avehicle is stopped in a first scenario.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method for storing location data after avehicle is stopped in a second scenario.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method for evaluating and using storedlocation data after a vehicle is started in a first scenario.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a method for evaluating and using storedlocation data after a vehicle is started in a second scenario.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a method for providing directions to a point ofinterest after a vehicle is stopped.

FIG. 8 depicts a set of example interfaces displayed to a user on amobile device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks byproviding a system and method for storing and recalling point ofinterest information. In the present system, a device, such as a mobilephone, executes a navigation application that is configured to interfacewith a vehicle's display system. During use, the device monitors thevehicle's current location and stores that location. When the vehicle isparked and turned off, the last-known location of the vehicle can beretained for future use. When the user returns to the vehicle, thedevice can be connected to the vehicle and the vehicle's last knownlocation can be retrieved from the device and displayed using thevehicle's navigation screen. This allows the vehicle's current locationto be quickly ascertained and displayed even if GPS coverage is notoptimal.

In some cases, though, this approach results in an incorrect depictionof the vehicle's current location. For example, if the user shouldconnect his or her device to the vehicle, but not execute the device'snavigation application until after the vehicle has been driven forsometime, the stored vehicle location will be inaccurate. Similarly, ifthe user simply fails to connect the device when first starting thevehicle and drives some distance before the device is connected, thevehicle's location stored on the device will be inaccurate. Many othercircumstances are anticipated in which the vehicle's stored locationcould become inaccurate over time.

The present system, therefore, uses data from one or more vehicleonboard sensor system (e.g., an odometer, speedometer) to determinewhether the location information being retrieved from the device isaccurate and should be used for navigation purposes.

In one implementation of the present system, at the time the device isdisconnected from the vehicle (thereby causing the vehicle's currentlocation to be stored in the device), the device or the vehicle recordsor stores the vehicle's current odometer reading. When the device isnext connected to the vehicle, the vehicle analyzes the current odometerreading to determine whether the odometer value has changed from thevalue that was stored earlier, thereby indicating the vehicle's positionhas changed since the last time the device was connected. If theodometer has changed, the current vehicle location information stored onthe device is considered suspect. This allows the vehicle to prompt theuser with a warning that the current location information may beincorrect and provide the user the option of deleting the information.In other implementations, the vehicle may instead monitor the vehicle'sspeedometer, as an example. If the speedometer reading varies from areading of ‘0’ before the location data is retrieved from the device,that indicates the vehicle has moved rendering the current location dataon the device suspect. In various other implementations, other vehiclesensor systems, such as wheel rotation sensors, steering wheel positionsensors, accelerometers, and the like, may be utilized to detect thatthe vehicle's position has changed (or has likely changed) since thelocation data was previously stored on the device.

Upon determining that the location data is suspect, the navigationsystem can provide the user with a number of options including: 1)deleting the location data, 2) using the location data anyway, or 3)waiting until updated location data is available (e.g., via GPS) beforeresuming navigation.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a method includesdetecting a connection between a device and a vehicle, and, afterdetecting the connection, identifying a first set of data stored on thedevice. The first set of data includes a last known location of thevehicle. The method includes comparing a current value of a vehiclesensor to a historical value of the vehicle sensor. The historical valuewas captured from the vehicle sensor at about a time the first set ofdata was stored on the device. The method includes, when the currentvalue of the vehicle sensor is the same as the historical value of thevehicle sensor, using the first set of data to define a current locationof the vehicle.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method includesdisconnecting a device from a vehicle, and, upon detecting that thedevice is disconnected from the vehicle, providing, by the device, a setof directions to a point of interest.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a system includes aprocessor configured to detect a connection between a device and avehicle, and after detecting the connection, identify a first set ofdata stored on the device. The first set of data includes a last knownlocation of the vehicle. The processor is configured to compare acurrent value of a vehicle sensor to a historical value of the vehiclesensor. The historical value was captured from the vehicle sensor atabout a time the first set of data was stored on the device. Theprocessor is configured to, when the current value of the vehicle sensoris the same as the historical value of the vehicle sensor, use the firstset of data to define a current location of the vehicle.

Embodiments of the present disclosure include a system and method forstoring and recalling POI information. In the context of the presentdisclosure, a POI may be any type of location including roads, gasstations, strip malls, retail establishments, eating establishments,hospitals, police stations, etc. The means for identifying and recallinga POI may be provided with a motor vehicle. The term “vehicle” as usedthroughout the specification and claims refers to any moving vehiclethat is capable of carrying one or more human occupants and is poweredby any form of energy. The term vehicle includes, but is not limited tocars, trucks, vans, minivans, SUVs, motorcycles, scooters, boats,personal watercraft, and aircraft.

The terms “start”, “stop” and similar language are used throughout thespecification. Generally, starting a vehicle may refer to providingpower to one or more on-board systems. This may or may not includestarting the engine as well. Starting the vehicle may also refer toshifting into a gear other than “park”. Stopping a vehicle may refer toshifting the vehicle into “park” or “neutral” or otherwise parking thevehicle, and may include stopping the vehicle's engine. Stopping mayfurther refer to depressing the brake in order to bring the vehicle to ahalt. The vehicle may be parked in a parking lot or structure, on thestreet, and the like.

The means for storing and recalling a POI may also be provided with adevice. The term “device” as used throughout the specification andclaims refers to any electronic device that is capable of storinginformation. The term device includes, but is not limited to a cellulartelephone, a smart phone, a tablet computer, a portable GPS system, andthe like.

The POI storage and recall system may utilize a number of differenttechnologies to collect and convey data. In some embodiments, the systemmay require some user input. In other embodiments, the system may beentirely automated. In other embodiments, the system may utilize awireless communications system. The wireless communications system maybe any type of wireless communications system known in the art, forexample, a cellular telephone network, satellite communications, or thelike. In other embodiments, a service provider may be involved in therelaying data to and from the system such a cellular service provider ora GPS satellite signal provider.

FIGS. 1A-1C provide an overview of the components and methods of thepresent disclosure. FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram depicting an exampleenvironment 100 in which the present system and method may operate. Asshown in FIG. 1A, user 106 communicates with both mobile device 102 andvehicle 104. Mobile device 102 may include, for example, a mobile phoneand is configured to execute a number of software applications andcommunicate with a number of external systems. Mobile device 102communicates with service provider 108 (e.g., a GPS satellite or otherexternal navigation system) to determine a location of mobile device102. Having determined its current location, mobile device 102 can thenprovide navigation services to user 106 through a suitable mappingsoftware application, for example.

Mobile device 102 is also configured to communicate with vehicle 104.Mobile device 102 may connect to (and communicate with) vehicle 104using a wireless communications medium, such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, acellular network, or the like. Alternatively, mobile device 102 mayconnected to vehicle 104 using a wired connection. Using thecommunication medium, mobile device 102 may transmit data, including thelocation of the mobile device 102, to vehicle 104. Vehicle 104 can thenuse that location information to display a position of vehicle 104 on amap depicted on a suitable display screen within the vehicle 104.

In some cases, in addition to data, mobile device 102 will transmitcontent to vehicle 104, where that content is configured to be displayedon a display screen within vehicle 104. For example, rather thantransmit only location data, mobile device 102 may also transmit adepiction of a map showing a current location to vehicle 104, where thedepiction is suitably arranged for display on one or more of thevehicle's display screen. Vehicle 104 can then receive that mapdepiction and simply display it on a display screen. In such anarrangement, vehicle 104 would not need to store any map or geographicaldata. Instead, the map data would be stored on, or in a manneraccessible to, mobile device 102 and can then be provided to vehicle 104as necessary.

To enable communications with mobile device 102, vehicle 104 includesone or more processors configured to communicate via one or more vehiclenetworks or busses. One example network includes a controller areanetwork (CAN), which also enables the processors of vehicle 104 tocommunicate with one or more sensors that may be installed in orotherwise connected to the vehicle 104. Example sensors includespeedometer sensors (configured to measure a rotation speed of one ormore of the vehicle's wheels or sense a value of the vehicle'sspeedometer), steering wheel position sensors, odometer sensors(configured to measure a distance traveled by the vehicle), and thelike. Vehicle 104 can collect data from these various sensors and otherconnected devices (such as mobile device 102) and perform analysis ofthat data.

In certain embodiments, the components of the system may be incommunication through a physical connection such as via a cable or otherwired connection. Alternatively, communication between components maycomprise a wireless connection such as cellular signal, a Bluetoothsignal or a satellite signal.

FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C provide an overview of one implementation of thepresent disclosure. The following method describes a scenario in which auser travels to a POI in a vehicle connected to a mobile device. Uponarrival at the POI, the device is disconnected from the vehicle and datasuch as the GPS coordinates of the vehicle at the time the device isdisconnected are stored on the device. Upon returning to the vehicle,the device can be reconnected to the vehicle and the stored dataretrieved. This data can be used to obviate the need for a GPS signalfrom a service provider thereby allowing the user to immediately receivenavigation instruction from the mobile device (e.g., via the vehicle) inorder to proceed to a new POI.

Referring to FIG. 1C, the user 106 may wish to use a vehicle 104 totravel to and from a given POI. The user 106 may also be in possessionof a GPS-enabled mobile device 102 in communication with a serviceprovider 108. Furthermore, an application may be active on the mobiledevice 102 to facilitate data storage and retrieval as described herein.In 118 of FIG. 1C, the user 106 inputs a POI into the mobile device 102.In 120, the user 106 then proceeds to operate the vehicle 104 in orderto navigate towards the POI. At a certain point prior to arriving at thedestination, the mobile device 102 is connected to the vehicle 104. Thisconnection may be established either before or after starting thevehicle 104 and before or after beginning to travel in the vehicle 104to the POI. The connection may allow the device 102 to provide the user106 with navigational directions towards the POI either directly orthrough the vehicle 104 (see 110 of FIG. 1B).

In 122, the user 106 has arrived at a location near the POI and stopsthe vehicle 104. The user 106 may park the vehicle 104 at or near thePOI and in 124 may disconnect the device 102 from the vehicle 104 in oneof the ways mentioned herein. Upon disconnecting the device 102, in 126the user 106 is given the option of storing data on the device 102 (see112 of FIG. 1B and example interface 802 of FIG. 8). The user 106 maystore at least two general categories of data on the device 102: (i)data useful for remembering where and when the vehicle 104 was parked,and (ii) data useful for navigation after returning to the vehicle 104.The first category of data may include a picture of the vehicle 104, thetime of day the vehicle 104 was parked, a countdown timer for an amountof time remaining on a parking meter, and the like (see exampleinterface 804 of FIG. 8). The second category of data may include thegeographic (GPS) coordinates of the vehicle 104, historical vehicleon-board sensor data at the time the vehicle 104 was stopped (e.g.,odometer reading), and the like.

After storing the data, in 128, the device 102 may provide directions tothe user 106 as to how to proceed from the vehicle 104 to the POI (see114 of FIG. 1B and sample interface 806 of FIG. 8). The user 106 mayproceed to the POI on foot or by alternative transportation means afterexiting the vehicle 104. Similarly, the user 106 may employ the device102 to return to the vehicle 104 from the POI. The first category ofdata may be recalled on the device 102 to aid the user 106 in locatingthe vehicle 104.

Once the user 106 has returned to the vehicle 104, the user 106 may in130 start the vehicle 104 and in 132 once again connect the device 102to the vehicle 104. The user 106 may wish to operate the vehicle 104 inorder to navigate to the point of origin or to a new POI. This may bedifficult or impossible if the GPS signal is weak or obstructed in someway. In such instances, the present disclosure provides that the user106 may rely on the second category of data that was stored on thedevice 102 in 126. In 134, the second category of data may now berecalled to provide GPS coordinates of the vehicle 104 thereby allowingthe user 106 to immediately receive navigational guidance to the newdestination from either the device 102 or via the vehicle 104 (see 116of FIG. 1B). In summary, the method allows the user 106 to store vehicledata when accurate GPS data is immediately available and later resumenavigation when the GPS signal is weak or unavailable.

It is anticipated that situations may arise in which the user 106 hasbegun to operate the vehicle 104 prior to connecting the device 102. Insuch cases, the actual location of the vehicle 104 may or may not besubstantially different then the location stored on the device 102 in126. Therefore, additional data stored on the device 102 in 126 may berecalled and compared with current vehicle data to determine theaccuracy of the stored location data. If, for example, a storedhistorical odometer value (that was created at the time device 102 wasdisconnected) is different from the current odometer value, the user 106may be warned that the location data retrieved from device 102 may notbe accurate. The user 106 may then choose to either override the warningand use the stored location data as the actual location of the vehicle104 or discard the stored location data and therefore wait for a GPSsignal from the service provider 108.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method 200 for evaluating and usingstored location data in accordance with the present disclosure. In oneimplementation, the location data may be stored on a mobile device (suchas mobile device 102 of FIG. 1) that is configured to communicate with avehicle (such as vehicle 104 of FIG. 1). The vehicle 104 is configuredto retrieve that stored location information and then make a decisionregarding whether the stored location information should be used, onceretrieved.

In 202 the vehicle 104 is started. Once started, in 204 the vehicle 104establishes a connection with a mobile device 102. In oneimplementation, the mobile device 102 may be the device 102 of the user106 starting the vehicle 104. In other implementations, though, themobile device 102 could be the mobile device of another occupant withinthe vehicle 104. The connection may be established wirelessly (in whichcase the connection may be established automatically and with no userinteraction). Alternatively, the connection may be established by theuser 106 physically connecting the mobile device 102 to a suitable portin the vehicle 104 to establish a wired connection. Upon connecting tothe device 102, the vehicle 104 may communicate with the device 102 inorder to access any available stored data.

In 206, the vehicle 104 attempts to retrieve a last known location ofthe vehicle 104 from device 102. The last known location data may bestored on mobile device 102 as a result of the execution of methodillustrated in FIG. 1C, for example. If no location data is stored onthe mobile device 102, in 214 the vehicle 104 attempts to acquirelocation data from a service provider 108 in order to identify a currentlocation of the vehicle 104. The data from the service provider 108 mayinclude GPS data such as the current location of the vehicle 104. Inother implementations, for example, where the vehicle 104 does not havethe capability to receive a GPS signal, the vehicle 104 may instead waituntil the mobile device 102 has itself established a GPS connection andprovided new location data to the vehicle 104. Alternatively, thevehicle 104 may attempt to acquire location data from service provider108 before attempting to retrieve last known vehicle location data fromthe mobile device 102.

If relevant location data is identified, in 208 the vehicle 104evaluates the retrieved data to determine whether the data istrustworthy or whether the data should be treated as suspect. Thisevaluation can be performed by analyzing a number of criteria todetermine an accuracy of the last known vehicle location data retrievedfrom the mobile device 102. If, for example, the vehicle 104 has movedsince the last known vehicle location data was stored on the mobiledevice 102, the location data may be suspect.

Accordingly, one example criterion that may be used to determine whetherthe retrieved last known vehicle location data is accurate is whetherin-vehicle sensors indicate that the vehicle 104 has moved since themobile device 102 recorded the vehicle's last known location. Inimplementations of the present system where the mobile device 102stores, in addition to the last known vehicle location data, thevehicle's odometer reading at the time the last known location data wascaptured, the vehicle 104 can retrieve the odometer reading stored bythe mobile device 102 and compare the reading to the vehicle's currentodometer reading. If the two values match, this indicates that thevehicle 104 has not moved since the last known vehicle location data wasstored by the mobile device 102 and that the location information shouldstill be accurate. If, however, the two odometer values differ, thisindicates that the vehicle 104 has been driven since the last knownvehicle location data was stored on the mobile device 102. In this case,the last known vehicle location data may be treated as suspect.

In some implementations, a margin or threshold may be defined to allowfor some variability between the stored odometer reading and the currentreading. If the two values differ by less than the margin, then the twovalues may be considered to be the same. For example, if the two valuesonly differ by 0.1 miles, the two values may be considered to be thesame. In various implementations, the margin may be defined to be anyappropriate distance. This margin may allow for the vehicle 104 to bedriven a very short distance (e.g., backed out of a parking space),while the vehicle 104 is in the process of retrieving the last knownvehicle location data from the mobile device 102. In that case, it maybe desired that the stored last known vehicle location data be used,even though the odometer values may differ by some small amount.

In other implementations, the odometer data may be stored by the vehicle104 rather than the mobile device 102. In some cases, other sensorsystems may be used to determine whether the last known vehicle locationdata retrieved from the mobile device 102 is trustworthy. For example,the vehicle 104 can monitor the vehicle's speedometer since the lastknown vehicle location data was captured (in this case, the mobiledevice 102 may be considered to store, in addition to the last knownvehicle location data, the time at which the location data was capturedso that the time can be retrieved by the vehicle 104). If thespeedometer deviates from 0 mph since the location data was captured,this may indicate that the vehicle 104 has moved and that the last knownlocation data is not trustworthy. Similarly, the vehicle 104 may monitorone or more accelerometers installed within the vehicle 104 to detectpotential movement of the vehicle 104 away from the last known vehiclelocation. Again, in some cases a margin or threshold can be defined. If,for example, the vehicle's speedometer has only deviated from 0 mph fora short time period (e.g., less than 30 seconds), then the vehicle 104may be considered to have not moved since the last known vehiclelocation data was stored.

If, in 208 the vehicle 104 determines that the last known vehiclelocation data retrieved from the mobile device 102 is trustworthy, in210 the vehicle 104 uses the location data retrieved from the mobiledevice 102 as the current location of the vehicle 104. In that case, thevehicle 104 can then display a suitable navigation interface using oneor more of the vehicle's display screens depicting the vehicle 104 inits current location (i.e., the last known vehicle location).

If, in 208 the vehicle 104 determines that the last known vehiclelocation data retrieved from the mobile device 102 is not trustworthy,the vehicle 104 (or, in some implementations, the device 102) promptsthe user 106 for an input in 212. The prompt may include notifying theuser 106 that the retrieved last known vehicle location data is suspectand asking the user 106 whether the location data should be used anyway.If the user 106 indicates in 212 that the location data should be usedanyway, the method moves to 210 and the vehicle 104 uses the last knownvehicle location data. If, however, in 212 the user 106 indicates thatthe last known vehicle location data should not be used, the methodmoves to 214.

In one example of the method 200, data associated with a location inwhich the vehicle 104 was previously parked may be stored on the device102. Upon starting the vehicle 104 and connecting the device 102 to thevehicle 104, the location data may be retrieved from the device 102 andused as the current location of the vehicle 104 for navigation purposes.This data is useful if a GPS signal cannot be immediately obtained froma service provider 108. However, in the case where the vehicle 104 hasmoved from the location in which the vehicle 104 was previously parked(e.g., as determined by a change in the odometer reading), an evaluationcan be made to prompt the user 106 that the location data may not bevalid and a choice can be made by the user 106 to wait for a GPS signalor to use the location data anyway. Furthermore, if the location data isnot available on the device 102 or the location data cannot beidentified by the vehicle 104, a determination may be made to wait forthe GPS signal from the service provider 108.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method 300 for storing locationdata after a vehicle is stopped in a first scenario. The method may beused, for example, to store last known vehicle location data on a mobiledevice when a vehicle is parked at a particular location. The last knownvehicle location data can then be retrieved by the vehicle at a latertime and used to indicate the vehicle's location should other sources oflocation data (e.g., a GPS signal) be unavailable. Generally, the methodof FIG. 3 is executed in an environment where the vehicle is connectedto a mobile device (either by a wired or wireless connection). Themobile device is capable of determining its current location (e.g.,using a GPS system) and is also capable of determining (or beinginformed of) when the mobile device has either been disconnected fromthe vehicle or the vehicle has been turned off or parked.

In 302 of method 300 the vehicle 104 is stopped, such as when thevehicle 104 is parked in a parking lot. In 304, after stopping thevehicle 104, the mobile device 102 is disconnected from the vehicle 104.The disconnection may occur because the vehicle 104 has been turned off(in which case the mobile device 102 loses its connection to the vehicle104). Alternatively, the mobile device 102 may have been physicallydisconnected from the vehicle 104 (e.g., by the mobile device 102 beingphysically disconnected from a wired connection to the vehicle 104 orbeing moved out of range of a wireless connection to the vehicle 104).

After detecting that the vehicle 104 is disconnected from the mobiledevice 102 (or, in some cases, determining that the vehicle 104 isparked or has been placed in park), in 306 the device 102 prompts theuser 106 for an input to determine whether the current location of themobile device 102 should be stored for later retrieval by the vehicle104 as the last known location of the vehicle 104. If the user 106provides an input in the affirmative, in 308 the device's currentlocation data is stored for later retrieval by the vehicle 104. 308 mayinclude the mobile device 102 storing the GPS coordinate of the currentlocation of the vehicle 104 or device 102. In some implementations, themobile device 102 may store additional data that can be used by thevehicle 104 to determine whether the stored location data is trustworthy(i.e., that the data has not become stale), as described with respect toFIG. 2. The additional data may include, for example, a current odometervalue of the vehicle 104, or the current time at which the last knownvehicle location data was stored. It will be readily appreciated thatall or some of the data stored by the mobile device 102 in accordancewith 308 may also be stored in part or in whole by the vehicle 104 forlater retrieval. In some implementations, to ensure that the additionaldata is available to device 102 after being disconnected from thevehicle, device 102, while connected to the vehicle 104, periodicallypolls the vehicle for the additional data (for example, every 10seconds). Upon being disconnected, the device 102 can then use the mostcurrent additional data captured from the vehicle as part of theperiodic polling process.

If, however, in 306 the user 106 indicates that the current locationdata of the mobile device 102 is not to be stored for later retrieval,in 310 the data, such as location data, is not stored on the device 102and may instead displayed for review by the user 106. In someimplementations, the device 102 may provide additional means for storinginformation such as an image of the vehicle location, the time of day atwhich the car was stopped or parked, and parking meter information suchas the amount of time remaining on a paid or unpaid parking meter.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart depicting an alternative method for storinglocation data after a vehicle is stopped. The method may be implemented,for example, by a mobile device that is in communication with a vehicle.In the present example, the mobile device 102, while connected to thevehicle 104, may be running an application, such as a navigation app toassist a driver in navigating the vehicle 104.

Referring to FIG. 4, in 402 the vehicle 104 is stopped or parked. Atthis time, the vehicle 104 is connected to device 102. In 404, anapplication running on the device 102 may be interrupted (e.g., bypausing, or quitting). The application may be used to facilitate thecommunication of information between the device 102 and the vehicle 104.In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the application mustbe active in order for data such as location data to be stored on thedevice 102. In 406, the device 102 is disconnected from the vehicle 104.

Upon disconnecting the device 102, in 408 it is determined whether theapplication is resumed on the device 102. In one embodiment of thepresent disclosure, a predetermined time frame may be set during whichthe application may be resumed, wherein resuming the application withinthe predetermined time-frame results in the affirmative outcome of 408.Alternatively, if the application is not resumed within thepredetermined time frame, 408 may result in the negative outcome.

If 408 of the method 400 culminates in the affirmative, in 410 thedevice 102 prompts the user 106 for an input as to whether currentlocation data (e.g., the current location data for the device 102) is tobe stored by the mobile device 102. If the user 106 provides an input inthe affirmative, in 412 the mobile device 102 stores certain data. Thisdata may include vehicle 104 data such as the GPS coordinate of thecurrent location of the vehicle 104 or device 102. Further example ofdata that may be stored in the sixth 412 of the method 400 may includethe current odometer value, or the current time.

If 408 culminates in the negative, in 414 the data, such as locationdata is not stored on the device 102. Under certain other conditions,the outcome of 410 may be that the user 106 provides an input in thenegative. In the negative case, in 414 the data, such as location data,is not stored on the device 102.

A further aspect of either 412 or 414 of the method 400 may be that thedevice 102 communicates additional information to the user 106. Forexample, the device 102 may provide a means for storing information suchas an image of the vehicle location, the time of day at which the carwas stopped or parked, and parking meter information such as the amountof time remaining on a paid or unpaid parking meter.

As with the method 300, one example use of method 400 for storinglocation data after a vehicle is stopped may provide that a device 102may be used to store location data which can be used in the method 200(e.g., in 206). Furthermore, in certain embodiments of the method 400,an application is present to facilitate communication between the device102 and the vehicle 104. If the application is interrupted before thedevice 102 is disconnected from the vehicle 104, whether or not locationdata is stored may be dependent on the application being resumed.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustration a method 500 for evaluating and usingstored location data retrieved from a connected mobile device after avehicle is started. In 502 a vehicle, such as vehicle 104, is started.After the vehicle 104 is started, in 504 the vehicle 104 establishes aconnection with a mobile device (e.g., mobile device 102). As describedabove, this connection may be made wireless (in which case theconnection may be established without user interaction) or wired, inwhich a user 106 may be required to connect the mobile device 102 to asuitable port of the vehicle 104. After the vehicle 104 is connected tothe mobile device 102, the vehicle 104 may communicate with the device102 in order to access any available stored data. The stored data mayinclude information such as a last known location of the vehicle 104 anddata relating to instrumentation associated with the vehicle 104 such asthe odometer, speedometer, fuel injection system, and vehicle stabilitycontrol system.

In optional 506 an application running on the device 102, such as anavigation application, may be activated (e.g., by starting or resumingthat application). The application may be used to facilitate thecommunication of information between the device 102 and the vehicle 104.In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the application mustbe active in order for data such as location data to be stored on thedevice 102. In other embodiments, though, the application is notrequired and the mobile device 102 will be configured to communicatewith the vehicle 104 even if the application is not running.

In 508, the vehicle 104 makes a determination as to whether a GPS signalis available. The GPS signal may be obtained from a service provider 108and may be accessible via the device 102. Depending on whether a GPSsignal is available, a predetermined action may be taken. In thenegative case in which a GPS signal cannot be obtained such that thelocation of the vehicle 104 cannot be accurately determined, in 512 thevehicle 104 attempts to retrieve last known vehicle location data fromthe device 102. If the data is identified by the vehicle 104, in 512 thevehicle 104 uses the last known vehicle location data stored on thedevice 102 as the vehicle's location. In that case, the vehicle 104 canthen display a suitable navigation interface using one or more of thevehicle's display screens depicting the vehicle in its current location(i.e., the last known vehicle location).

Under certain conditions, the outcome of 508 may be that a GPS signal isobtained. In the affirmative case in which a GPS signal is obtained suchthat the location of the vehicle 104 can be accurately determined, themethod may jump to 512, thereby foregoing the retrieval of last knownvehicle location data that would otherwise have been performed in 510.

Under certain conditions, the outcome of 510 may be that relevant data,such as location data, is not stored on the device 102. In the negativecase, in 514 an attempt is made to acquire location data from a serviceprovider 108. The data from the service provider 108 may include GPSdata such as the current location of the vehicle 104.

Data associated with a location in which the vehicle 104 was previouslyparked may be stored on the device 102. After starting the vehicle 104and connecting the device 102 to the vehicle 104, an application on thedevice 102 may be resumed. Upon resuming the application on the device102, the availability of a GPS signal may be determined. If the GPSsignal is available, the location of the vehicle 104 can be determinedwithout retrieving location data from the device 102. However, if a GPSsignal is not obtained, the location data may be retrieved from thedevice 102 and used as the current location of the vehicle 104 fornavigation purposes.

Analogous to method 200 of FIG. 2, method 500 may include evaluatinglast known vehicle location data stored on a connected mobile device.For example, a determination may be made as to whether the last knownvehicle location data stored on the device 102 and/or the vehicle 104meet certain criteria in order to determine if the location data isvalid. For example, in the case where the vehicle 104 has moved from thelocation in which the vehicle 104 was previously parked (or onboardsensor data, such as an odometer sensor, steering wheel sensor, speedsensor, and the like indicate that it is likely that the vehicle 104 hasmoved since the location data was captured), an evaluation can be madeto prompt the user 106 that the location data may not be valid and achoice can be made by the user 106 to wait for a GPS signal or to usethe location data anyway. Finally, if the location data is not availableon the device 102 or the location data cannot be identified by thevehicle 104, a determination may be made to wait for the GPS signal fromthe service provider 108.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method 600 for evaluating and usingstored location data retrieved from a mobile device after a vehicle isstarted in a second scenario. Referring to FIG. 6, in 602 the vehicle(e.g., vehicle 104) is started. In 604, a navigation application isexecuted on the device 102. In the scenario exemplified by the method600, the device 102 may not yet be connected to the vehicle 104 when themethod is executed. The application may be used to facilitate thecommunication of information between the device 102 and the vehicle 104.In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the application mustbe active in order for data such as location data to be stored on thedevice 102 and communicated between device 102 and the vehicle 104.

In 606, the vehicle 104 makes a determination as to whether a GPS signalis available. The GPS signal may be obtained from a service provider 108and may be accessible via the device 102 or may be directly received bythe vehicle 104. Depending on whether a GPS signal is available, apredetermined action may be taken. If a GPS signal cannot be obtainedsuch that the location of the vehicle 104 cannot be accuratelydetermined, in 608 the device 102 is connected to the vehicle 104. Thedevice 102 may be connected to the vehicle 104 by a wireless connection.In that case, in 608, once it is determined that a GPS signal is notavailable, the vehicle 104 may search in its vicinity for a suitabledevice 102 to which the vehicle 104 may connect. In some cases, a user106 may be required to initiate the wireless connection procedure.Alternatively, 608 may involve a user 106 physically connecting themobile device 102 to a suitable port on the vehicle 104. Upon connectingthe device 102, the vehicle 104 may communicate with the device 102 inorder to access any available stored data. The stored data may includeinformation such as a last known location of the vehicle 104 and storeddata relating to instrumentation associated with the vehicle 104 such asthe odometer, speedometer, fuel injection system, and vehicle stabilitycontrol system.

After connecting the device 102 to the vehicle 104, in 610 the vehicle104 evaluates whether last known vehicle location data has beenretrieved from device 102. If so, in 612 the vehicle 104 can then usethat retrieved last known vehicle location data to display a suitablenavigation interface using one or more of the vehicle's display screensdepicting the vehicle in its current location (i.e., the last knownvehicle location).

If no vehicle location data is retrieved from the mobile device 102, in614 the vehicle 104 attempts to acquire data from a service provider108. The data from the service provider 108 may include GPS data such asthe current location of the vehicle 104.

Referring back to 606, if a GPS signal is obtained such that thelocation of the vehicle 104 can be accurately determined, the methodmoves to 612 and the vehicle 104 can use the retrieved GPS location asthe vehicle's current location. As such, 608 and 611 may be bypassed. Inthe case in which 608 and 610 are bypassed, the device 102 may still beconnected to the vehicle 104 as in 608. In this instance, uponconnecting the device 102, data may or may not be acquired from thedevice 102 to determine the current location of the vehicle 104.

Data associated with a location in which the vehicle 104 was previouslyparked may be stored on the device 102. The vehicle 104 may be startedwithout connecting the device 102. After starting the vehicle 104, theavailability of a GPS signal may be determined. If the GPS signal isavailable, the location of the vehicle 104 can be determined withoutretrieving location data from the device 102. However, if a GPS signalis not obtained, the device 102 may be connected to the vehicle 104 inorder to retrieve the location data from the device 102. The locationdata may be used as the current location of the vehicle 104 fornavigation purposes.

Analogous to the method 200 of FIG. 2, the method 600 may includeevaluating stored location data. For example, a determination may bemade as to whether the data stored on the device 102 and/or the vehicle104 meet certain criteria in order to determine if the location data isvalid. For example, in the case where the vehicle 104 has moved from thelocation in which the vehicle 104 was previously parked, an evaluationcan be made to prompt the user 106 that the location data may not bevalid and a choice can be made by the user 106 to wait for a GPS signalor to use the location data anyway. Finally, if the location data is notavailable on the device 102 or the location data cannot be identified bythe vehicle 104, a determination may be made to wait for the GPS signalfrom the service provider 108.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method 700 for providing directionsto a point of interest after a vehicle (e.g., the vehicle 104) isstopped. In 702, a POI is supplied to a vehicle 104 or a device 102through a suitable user interface. For example, when the POI is providedto the vehicle 104, the POI may be provided through a user interface fora navigation application of the vehicle 104 depicted upon one or moredisplay screen within the vehicle 104. Similarly, when the POI issupplied to the device 102, the POI may be entered through anappropriate user interface provided by a navigation application runningon the mobile device 102. Once the POI is inputted into a suitablenavigation application (provided by either the vehicle 104 or the device102), the navigation application can provide navigation assistance toenable a driver to drive the vehicle 104 towards the POI. The device 102is connected to the vehicle 104 and when a POI is entered into thevehicle's navigation system, the POI is transmitted to the mobile device102 for later use, as detailed below.

In 704, the vehicle 104 is stopped (e.g., after the vehicle 104 isparked and the engine is switched off). In 706, the device 102 isdisconnected from the vehicle 104. The disconnection may involve thedevice 102 being physically separated from a port in the vehicle 104.Alternatively, the disconnection may occur when the vehicle 104 ispowered off and the device 102 is no longer able to communicate with thevehicle 104. Alternatively, the disconnection may occur when the device102 is moved away from the vehicle 104 by a sufficient distance that thedevice 102 can no longer communicate with the vehicle 104. Upondisconnecting the device 102, in 708 the device 102, using a suitablenavigation application, provides directions from the current location tothe POI. In one implementation, the directions may include an indicationof a direction to the inputted POI. The indication of a direction mayrely upon the orientation of the vehicle 104, thereby allowing the user106 to determine in which direction of the POI is located in referenceto, for instance, the orientation of the vehicle 104 (e.g., thedirection in which the vehicle is pointing). In one example, if the POIlies to the west of the vehicle 104 and the vehicle is parked facingnorth, the device 102 may indicate that the direction of the POI is tothe left of the vehicle 104. In other implementations, a map may bedepicted with walking directions to the POI.

One aspect of a schematic diagram of a typical method 700 for providingdirections to a POI after a vehicle 104 is stopped is that a user 106may use a device 102 in communication with a vehicle 104 to navigate toa POI. The vehicle 104 may then be parked near the POI and the device102 disconnected from the vehicle 104. If the location of the parkedvehicle 104 does not coincide with exact location of the POI, the device102 may provide directions as to the location of the POI. For example,the device 102 may communicate that the POI is directly in front of thevehicle 104 or the device 102 may communicate that the user 106 shouldwalk to the right of the vehicle 104 to reach the POI.

Another aspect of a typical method 700 for providing directions to apoint of interest after a vehicle 104 is stopped is that the method 700by be integrated with any of the methods illustrated in FIGS. 1-6. Forexample, a typical method 300 for storing location data after a vehicle104 is stopped in a first scenario may be combined with the method 700.In this instance, if a POI was provided to the device 102, the devicemay provide directions to the POI after 308 or 310 of the method 300.

Finally, FIG. 8 is a set of example interfaces displayed to a user 106on a mobile device 102. 802 is an example of an interface displayed onthe device 102 after the user 106 has parked the vehicle 104 anddisconnected the device 102. The interface allows the user 106 to choosewhether or not to store the current location of the stopped vehicle 104.804 is an example of an interface displayed on the device 102 before orafter the 802 interface is displayed. The interface allows the user 106to store data such as the time remaining in the case of a metered space,the time of day the vehicle 104 was parked, a photograph of the vehicle104 in the location, and the like. 806 is an example of an interfacedisplayed to the user 106 after stopping the vehicle 104 (see, forexample, 114 of FIG. 1B and 128 of FIG. 1C). The interface may displaybasic instructions to allow the user 106 to navigate to the POI from thevehicle 104.

While various embodiments of the disclosure have been described, thedescription is intended to be exemplary, rather than limiting and itwill be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many moreembodiments and implementations are possible that are within the scopeof the disclosure. Accordingly, the disclosure is not to be restrictedexcept in light of the attached claims and their equivalents. Inaddition, various modifications and changes may be made within the scopeof the attached claims.

This present disclosure describes preferred embodiments with referenceto the Figures. Reference throughout this specification to “oneembodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar language means that aparticular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connectionwith the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of thepresent disclosure. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in oneembodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughout thisspecification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the sameembodiment.

The described features, structures, or characteristics of the disclosuremay be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Inthe description, numerous specific details are recited to provide athorough understanding of embodiments of the disclosure. One skilled inthe relevant art will recognize, however, that the disclosure may bepracticed without one or more of the specific details, or with othermethods, components, materials, and so forth. In other instances,well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown ordescribed in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the disclosure.

The schematic flow chart diagrams included are generally set forth aslogical flow-chart diagrams. As such, the depicted order and labeledaspects are indicative of one embodiment of the presented method. Otheraspects and methods may be conceived that are equivalent in function,logic, or effect to one or more aspects, or portions thereof, of theillustrated method. Additionally, the format and symbols employed areprovided to explain the logical aspects of the method and are understoodnot to limit the scope of the method. Although various arrow types andline types maybe employed in the flow-chart diagrams, they areunderstood not to limit the scope of the corresponding method. Indeed,some arrows or other connectors may be used to indicate only the logicalflow of the method. For instance, an arrow may indicate a waiting ormonitoring period of unspecified duration between enumerated aspects ofthe depicted method. Additionally, the order in which a particularmethod occurs may or may not strictly adhere to the order of thecorresponding aspects shown.

The present invention has been described in terms of one or morepreferred embodiments, and it should be appreciated that manyequivalents, alternatives, variations, and modifications, aside fromthose expressly stated, are possible and within the scope of theinvention.

1.-9. (canceled)
 10. A method, comprising: detecting a disconnection ofa device from a vehicle; upon detecting that the device is disconnectedfrom the vehicle, providing, by the device, a set of directions to apoint of interest; and upon detecting that the device is disconnectedfrom the vehicle, presenting a user with an option to store data on thedevice, the data comprising at least one of information indicating whereand when the vehicle was parked or information for navigation afterreturning to the vehicle.
 11. The method of claim 10, further comprisingreceiving, by the device, an identification of the point of interestfrom the vehicle prior to the step of detecting the disconnection of thedevice from the vehicle.
 12. The method of claim 10, wherein the deviceincludes a mobile phone.
 13. The method of claim 10, wherein the set ofdirections is provided relative to a location of the vehicle.
 14. Themethod of claim 10, wherein the set of directions is provided inrelation to an orientation of the vehicle. 15.-20. (canceled)
 21. Asystem, comprising: a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory andconfigured to: detect a disconnection of a device from a vehicle; upondetecting that the device is disconnected from the vehicle, provide aset of directions to a point of interest; and upon detecting that thedevice is disconnected from the vehicle, present a user with an optionto store data on the device, the data comprising at least one ofinformation indicating where and when the vehicle was parked orinformation for navigation after returning to the vehicle.
 22. Thesystem of claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured toreceive an identification of the point of interest from the vehicleprior to the step of detecting the disconnection of the device from thevehicle.
 23. The system of claim 21, wherein the device includes amobile phone.
 24. The system of claim 21, wherein the set of directionsis provided relative to a location of the vehicle.
 25. The system ofclaim 21, wherein the set of directions is provided in relation to anorientation of the vehicle.